The westernmost parts of the Florida Keys appear to be the only parts of Florida facing an encounter Tropical Storm Laura, as it continued Saturday to track west and into the Gulf of Mexico.
The forecast track from the National Hurricane Center early Saturday evening takes the storm further south and west into the Gulf, possibly clipping the western Florida Keys and making a potential landfall Wednesday or Thursday anywhere from the western Florida Panhandle to near Texas.
Early next week, forecasters say Laura could interact with Tropical Storm Marco, which is poised to cross Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and is on a northwesterly path toward the Gulf.
At 5 p.m. Saturday, Tropical Storm Laura was about 100 miles west of Ponce, Puerto Rico and about 125 mi east southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
Saturday evening, a tropical storm watch was been issued for the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to Key West and for the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay.
In Cuba, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the provinces of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Granma. The Bahamian government has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Andros Island.
Tropical storm warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra the U.S. Virgin Islands, portions of the southern and northern coast of the Dominican Republic, portions of the northern coast of Haiti and the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles from the center.
Bay News 9 meteorologist Josh Linker said the effect on Florida seems minimal. South Florida and the Keys will likely have some stronger wind on Monday into Tuesday. For Central Florida, it will be just a little breezy those days. With the moisture already in place, the area will continue to have high rain chances through Tuesday.
Laura is forecast to enter the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday, about the same time Marco is expected to approach the Gulf Coast with a potential landfall as a tropical storm late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Forecasters expect the storm to follow a generally west-northwestward motion over the next few days. The center of Laura will move away from Puerto Rico tonight, near or over Hispaniola tonight, near or over Cuba Sunday and Monday, and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday.
The hurricane center does not expect major changes in strength today or Sunday while Laura moves near or over Hispaniola and Cuba. Some strengthening is forecast once Laura moves into the Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday.
The forecast expects that Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will see 3 to 6 inches of rain, with maximum amounts of 8 inches possible along eastern portions and the southern slopes of the islands.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti expect 4 to 8 inches of rain, with maximum amounts of 12 inches across southern areas. And Cuba could see rain of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated amounts of 8 inches.
Locally, forecasters with the National Weather Service say that on its current track, Laura’s greatest impact will be bands of heavy rain, localized flooding, gusty winds and strong rip currents through Friday. Portions of southwest Florida could also experience dangerous storm surge.
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